Rinsing of the car set off an alert

I was rinsing off my car when suddenly I heard a continuous alert. When I opened and closed the door it turned off but again it started when I resumed washing. I finally figured out that it was because I had left my key fob inside the car. When the water touched the handle it thought I was trying to lock it and alerted me because the key was in the car. Once I removed the key from the car, it was okay.

I had read (in the manual, I believe) that going through a carwash can cause the car to repeatedly lock and unlock. Is there anything that can be done to prevent this, or the continuous beep, from happening - apart from not going through a carwash? This didn't happen with the Gen II.

 

Yeah...but I can't keep the fob away if I'm going through an automatic carwash! I took my Gen II through many times and it didn't happen.

 

Yes, I was rinsing off the car in my driveway, but I figured out that I had to remove the fob from the car.

However, my question referred to driving through an automatic carwash. No, not coin operated -- you pay an attendant and then drive through a tunnel and get washed. You have to be in the car so obviously the key is also going to be in the car. How does one prevent it from either sounding an alert when the water jets or cloth washers touch the sensors or causing the doors to lock and unlock repeatedly?

 

No, I don't turn the car off -- I put it in neutral.

The Owners Manual does address this problem on page 50 and 51:

• The doors may unlock or lock if a large amount of water splashes on the door handle, such as in the rain or in a car wash when the electronic key is in the effective range. (The doors will automatically be locked after approximately 60 seconds if the doors are not opened and closed.)
• If the key is kept near the vehicle while it is being washed, water appplied to a door handle mahy cause the door to lock and unlock repeatedly. In this event, place the key in a location 6 ft. or more from the vehicle taking care not to lost the key. [No-duh!]
• If the key is inside the vehicle whle it is being washed, water applied to a door handle may cause a buzzer to sound. In this event, locking the doors will cause the buzzer to stop sounding.

Okay, I guess the first bullet means that if you are inside with the key, water appllied to the door handle could cause it to unlock and lock but after 60 seconds the door will lock anyway. (But notice is says that heavy rain could also cause this to happen.) And the third bullet means that if the alarm sounds, just lock the door and it will stop.